Fix: Organization List Shows Wrong User's Data After Login

Have you ever logged into an application and been greeted with the ghost of a previous user's data? It's not just spooky; it's a real bug that can cause confusion and security concerns. In this article, we'll dive into a peculiar issue reported by users of sursatech and tango, where the organization list displays information from the previously logged-in user after a fresh login. Let's explore the symptoms, causes, and expected behavior to understand the importance of a seamless and secure user experience.

Description

The core of the problem lies in the incorrect updating of the organization list after a user logs out and another logs in. Instead of presenting the new user's organizational affiliations, the UI stubbornly clings to the data of the previous user. This can manifest in several ways, including displaying organizations belonging to the prior user or, in some cases, showing no organizations at all. The only remedy, it seems, is a manual page refresh, which forces the UI to update with the correct information. This inconsistency not only disrupts the user experience but also raises questions about data security and session management within the application. Imagine the potential for errors if a user inadvertently operates under the guise of a previous user's organizational context. This bug highlights the critical need for robust session handling and data clearing mechanisms in web applications.

Steps to Reproduce

To replicate this issue, follow these steps meticulously:

1. Log in using User A with their email and password.
2. Confirm that User A has the following organizations: Personal (the default organization) and romanchhatkulisursatech (a newly created organization).
3. Log out of the application.
4. Log in using User B with their email and password.
5. Carefully observe the organization list displayed in the UI.
6. Notice that the organizations from User A are still visible, which is incorrect.
7. In some instances, you might find that no organizations are displayed at all.
8. The correct organization list for User B only loads after performing a manual browser refresh.

These steps clearly demonstrate the persistence of data across different user sessions, indicating a failure in clearing or updating the organization list upon logout and login. Reproducing the bug consistently is crucial for developers to identify the root cause and implement an effective solution.

Actual Behavior

The actual behavior observed when this bug occurs is multifaceted and includes:

• The organization list displaying data from the previous user.
• The organization dropdown menu showing incorrect organization names.
• The dropdown menu sometimes displaying no organizations at all.
• Errors appearing in the console, specifically a 403 Forbidden error for the POST /api/auth/organization/set-active endpoint. This suggests an issue with authorization or session management.
• A toast or notification message appearing, stating: “No organization data returned,” indicating a failure to retrieve the correct organization data for the current user.
• The UI only updating after a manual refresh, rather than automatically reflecting the correct state upon login.

These symptoms collectively point to a significant problem in how the application manages user sessions and data retrieval. The 403 Forbidden error is particularly concerning, as it suggests a potential security vulnerability where unauthorized access attempts are being made. The lack of automatic UI updates further exacerbates the issue, leading to a frustrating user experience.

Here are two images illustrating the problem:

• First Image: Shows the incorrect organization list after logging in as User B, displaying User A's organizations.
• Second Image: Shows the correct organization list for User B after a manual browser refresh.

Expected Behavior

The expected behavior of the application after logout and login should be seamless and secure. Here's a breakdown of what should occur:

After Logout:

• All organization data should be cleared from the UI.
• Workspace data should be cleared to ensure no remnants of the previous session persist.
• Session data should be completely cleared to prevent any unauthorized access or data leakage.

After Login:

• The organization list should accurately reflect the organizations associated with the newly logged-in user only.
• No stale or incorrect organizations should appear, ensuring data integrity and user confidence.
• No manual refresh should be required; the UI should automatically update with the correct information upon login, providing a smooth and intuitive user experience.

Achieving this expected behavior requires a robust and reliable system for managing user sessions, data retrieval, and UI updates. The application must ensure that all relevant data is cleared upon logout and that the correct data is fetched and displayed upon login, without any manual intervention from the user. This is crucial for maintaining data security, preventing errors, and providing a positive user experience.

Impact and Mitigation

The impact of this bug extends beyond mere inconvenience. Displaying the wrong organization data can lead to serious errors, especially in applications where users manage sensitive information or perform critical tasks. For example, a user might inadvertently make changes to the wrong organization's settings or data, leading to data corruption or unauthorized access.

To mitigate this issue, developers should focus on several key areas:

1. Session Management: Implement a robust session management system that ensures all session data is cleared upon logout. This includes clearing cookies, local storage, and server-side session data.
2. Data Retrieval: Ensure that the organization list is fetched fresh upon login, using the current user's credentials and permissions. Avoid caching or reusing data from previous sessions.
3. UI Updates: Implement a mechanism for automatically updating the UI upon login, without requiring a manual refresh. This can be achieved using techniques like AJAX or WebSockets.
4. Error Handling: Improve error handling to provide more informative messages when data retrieval fails. This can help users understand the issue and take appropriate action.

By addressing these areas, developers can significantly reduce the impact of this bug and improve the overall user experience.

Conclusion

The bug where the organization list displays data from the previous user after logout and login is a serious issue that can lead to confusion, errors, and potential security vulnerabilities. By understanding the symptoms, causes, and expected behavior, developers can take steps to mitigate this issue and provide a seamless and secure user experience. Robust session management, data retrieval, and UI updates are essential for ensuring that the application behaves as expected and that users can trust the data they see. To further explore best practices in web application security, consider visiting the OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project) website at https://owasp.org/.